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Sir Aeric bent down and retrieved the dagger--his dagger--from the
center of the silent fountain. As he did so, Marduk and Karissa noticed
that the two sorceresses had disappeared. Aeric returned, sliding
the precious blade into his belt and looked around, frowning.
"Damned sorceresses," he cursed softly, "why do they have to always play such games?" He regarded his two fellow Companions wearily. "The quest is over, my friends," he says, patting the pommel of the dagger. "It's late, we are all tired, and you two are far from home. Allow me to put you up tonight in my castle," he said, holding up a hand before either of them could protest. "Soft beds and hot food are all I have to offer in thanks for your help on this quest, and so soft beds and hot food will be yours. Come.". Marduk gripped the Rosary dangling from his belt and looked up at the night sky. Pensive, thrown aback by what had just happened, his thoughts flucuated between dreams and memory. He shook his head solemnly, turning his gaze to the others. He knew not what to say, nor what really to make of it all. He was merely relieved that whatever did just happen was over. Karissa looked at both knights, her confusion evident on her face. "Quest?" She asked. "What quest are you talking about, Sir Aeric? Come to think of it, why are we wandering about Ahrothen at this time of night?" Aeric looked at her suspiciously. "I appreciate your desire to lighten spirits now that everything is over with, Karissa, but I'm really very tired and not in the..." he paused, looking into her eyes. His brows furrowed as he saw something there which he did not like one bit. Finally he said, "you're...serious, aren't you?" "Of course I am serious," Karissa replied a bit indignantly. "Who were those women, and why the hell were we being attacked by tiger nomads?" "I do know what just happened," Marduk said distantly. "I'm going to have to think about this for a while." His eyes focused on Aeric's newly acquired dagger. "What are you mumbling about," Aeric asked a tad impatiently. His fatigue was catching up to him. "And what about her?" he said, gesturing at Karissa, who grew more impatient by the minute as her questions went unanswered. Aeric turned then to her. "Karissa,” he asked, “what is the last thing you remember?" "Well, You both we trying to get me up off of a cold floor. Then you started looking for something. Then there were those two women.…" "No, no," Aeric interrupted, "what's the last thing you remember before that?" "Hmmm..." She took a brief moment to try and recall. "I was in Pern, gathering things together for Story Court…I think. I'm not really sure." She paused once again and turned to Sir Marduk. "Grand Knight, Can you shed some light on this situation? I know you are new to the position and all…." "Grand Knight? Are you alright?" Marduk asked, seconding Aeric's question. "Yes, tell us what you remember." "I am feeling fine.” Karissa replied. "I really should get back to the preparations for Story Court. I trust that Pasquale has left the Outpost a mess as usual…." Aeric met Karissa's eyes with an even, somber gaze. "Listen to me...Dona Karissa," he said, the title sounding painful, almost forced. "You are experiencing the aftereffects of a spell placed on you by Shadowcast." "Shadowcast!" Karissa exclaimed incredulously. "Yes,” Aeric continued, “it was mind-controlling magic, and I fear that in its wake you have lost, hopefully only temporarily, nearly a year's worth of memory." He pauses briefly to let it all sink in. "We should get you to the Mages' Tower immediately. Perhaps if we act quickly, we may be able to restore your memory with little effort." "I..I..I don't understand,” Karissa stammered. “A year? That's not possible…is it?" As the words began to sink in, Karissa’s body collapsed under their weight. Aeric moved quickly to catch the swooning druin in his arms. “Sir Marduk!” Aeric shouted. “We have to get her to the Mages’ Tower, and quick!” Marduk reached forward to help catch Karissa. "No, wait! Let’s lay her on the ground." Marduk quickly removed his robe and placed it under her head. "If we move her, we might do more harm than good. Who knows what might have been done to her. You stay with her and I'll go get some more help." Marduk stood up and ran into the night, collapsing his staff on the run. Aeric crouched down next to Karissa, watching the duke race off in the direction of the tower. Even at that late hour, he could see the light from a thousand candles as a faint glow on the horizon as the students studied deep into the night. Then the duke was gone, and Aeric returned his attention to his friend lying upon the ground. "So beautiful," he said in a voice that was hardly more than a whisper. He reached out to touch her face, then retracted his hand violently as if burned. The knight stood up, turned his back on the woman, and clutched his hand into a fist that shook with rage. "Damn it," he cursed through tightly clenched teeth. "DAMMIT! It's happening again...." "What is happening again?” a familiar voice asked from the shadows behind him. “'Aeric Bannier,’ is it? Such a name does not suit you…Leonedes." Aeric’s sword leapt from its scabbard and into his hand as he turned to see the Demon, still mimicing the form of Galchauren. Its eyes alit on Aeric’s Caerna Dagger. "Good, you have the dagger,” it said, “that upstart Shadowcast has done his part." Looking at the sword, the Demon smiled, showing its fangs. "Please, feel free to attack me. We are much stronger since the last time we met. Your attempts at sorcery will not aid you this time--not that they did back then--and since you no longer have her protection…." Aeric's gaze never left the creature. He heard as something moved near Karissa, and when he turned to look, he saw the Demon lifting her partly up. "A shame for such beauty to be wasted on purity," it coos. "Let us see how powerful she truly is." With that, it sank it’s teeth into Karissa’s neck, cruelly sucking at it with ferociousness. "GET YOUR CLAWS OFF HER!!" Sir Aeric shouted, launching himself through the air, sword raised high overhead. He brought the blade down upon the Demon's back, and a blow that might have split a horse in half rebounded as if it had struck a stone wall. Aeric stumbled back a few feet, stunned, and fought to maintain his balance. If the Demon was affected by Aeric’s attack, it did not show. It looked back at Aeric now, blood trickling down its chin and laughing. "Why do you persist in this mockery?” It asked with a voice filled with scorn. “Come back to the Darkness, Aeric. It is your mantle, your scepter, your crown. We are just as forgiving as this Light is supposed to be. Your people would welcome you back with fear. You do remember the fear? The power, the authority over your lessers? The Darkness hears your anguish." Looking back at Karissa, the Demon continued. "And this... you could have this. Or any others like her. We are drawn to you surely as we are drawn to conquest over Light. Your rage calls to us. You are not happy in this Court, are you?" The Demon caressed her cheek. Aeric's rage was palpable, rising off his body like steam. His eyes burned a hole through the demon's skull, which was just the way the Demon liked it. "I want nothing you have to offer me, hell spawn. I have walked that road before, and it ends only in sorrow and damnation. No. Warwick is my home now. If I seem unsatisfied with my life here, it is only because I don't yet have the power to banish you and ALL your kind from our world FOREVER!" The Demon was unfazed by Aeric’s display of resolution. "It is good to hear such words issue forth from your mouth, Leonedes. It strikes me like the fires of home." The Demon continued in mock anguish, its face growing more bestial as It went on. "We have to nothing offer you?! Did you not attempt to use the teachings of Sarabrande against us? Did you not use your limited knowledge of these same gifts to 'aid' your good older sibling Mollari? Nothing indeed!” Aeric lowered his eyes at the mention of his mentor, his good friend, whose blood was on his hands as surely as if he had shot the arrows which killed the Aquatanian himself. "Did you think we would teach him our True Name to confine us to servitude? Or we would give him the secrets of the universe for some minor soul that was already ours? Of course not. He called for Darkness, we answered. Just as he called you, as Darkness had called you, you did answer." Athraziel, for a moment, stopped his ranting, and as distasteful as it was, wore an expression of sadness upon his face. "We do not punish you for your brief feelings of...guilt. You are not angry at us. You are angry at what you have become. It was you who made the choice of eternal servitude. Do not think that because you claim you are of the Light that the debts you have incurred cannot be collected, one way or another." The creature seemed to burn with the fires of hell as it held Karissa near it. "We have watched your dissatisfaction with this supposed Court of Light. You have slipped before, your anger is our strength. How much longer do you fight against destiny? The second decade will wait for no one, and the battle will soon begin." Aeric said nothing, but continued to stare with hate-filled eyes at the demon. His grip continued to tighten around the sword in his hand. The hate and rage swelled inside him, filling him up, threatening to consume him. Somewhere in the back of his mind a memory flittered...something about balance.... His eyes flickered briefly to the unconscious form at the feet of the demon. Suddenly, he realized what was happening: he was playing right into the creature's hands. Slowly, and with great deliberation, Aeric brought the sword up before him. The demon grinned as it saw what it believed to be its victory...and then the fang-filled grimace melted as Aeric slowly slid the blade into its scabbard. "No, demon. Forget it. I know your ways, you won't fool me. You won't tempt me into betraying myself, my friends. I am of the Light now...." As the demon stared at the Caerna dagger, the smile returned. "For the time being, perhaps. Never forget, 'Aeric,' that each time you rage, each time that inner fire rises in you, we hear your call to us whether you want us to or not." Lowering the sleeping Druin to the ground, the demon stepped back. "Looks like she is going to rouse soon. We don't want to be the ones to explain that," he said, pointing a claw toward the bruises upon her. The shadows came to Athraziel, and he sank into them like a pool of water. "Oh, and tell Lucerne that he is too late to stop General Draal. Oh, that's right--he's gone, isn't he? Off on some wild goose chase to wreak vengeance upon his undying foe. A pity, that. Such rage could be used to our advantage--it already has." His form faded, his voice trailed off. "Never forget, 'Aeric,' that a contract with us is forever binding. Upon your death we shall claim your soul... pray that the day never comes soon if you hold to this blasphemy of Light. We shall meet again." With that the demon was gone, and Karissa continued to lie unconscious on the ground. My Dearest Aeric, By the time you read this, you will be faced with a different me. I fear for the worse and that you were unable to break Shadowcast's spell. If this is the case, The Karissa you know is gone forever. She will wage war with Warwick, kill The Sovereign, and go after Runa and the Circle. She must, at all costs, be killed. Should you have successfully completed all challenges placed before you, The Karissa you know will be gone too. I will not know you. All of my memories since your dagger's disappearance will be lost as Shadowcast's magic must be very strong against a strong willed person. In time though, some of the memories will return, but to what extent, I do not know. Remember your promise to me, Aeric... remember who I am. Truly
Yours,
Karissa
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